Change Your Tune

The Mass in B minor is one of Bach’s most important works - but it wasn’t composed as a single piece, and he never heard it performed! It’s particularly special to The Bach Choir because without it, we wouldn’t exist - we were formed 150 years ago to give the first ever UK performance of it. In this special anniversary episode of Change Your Tune , our Musical Director, David Hill, takes you...

West Side Story composer, Leonard Bernstein, described it as “the greatest single work in Western music”. But what makes Bach’s St Matthew Passion so remarkable? In the second of our 150th anniversary episodes, David Hill and The Bach Choir take you through this powerful story of love, betrayal, anger and forgiveness.  We also hear from acclaimed choreographer, Kim Brandstrup, about...

Bach’s music turns up everywhere from cigar ads to horror films. You can probably hum bits of Bach even if you’re not a classical fan. But what makes his music so popular and why is he still so influential 300 years on? To celebrate The Bach Choir’s 150th Anniversary, we’ve made three special episodes all about Bach and his best-known compositions. This time our host and Musical Director, David Hi...

The Hallelujah Chorus i s probably the world's most famous choral piece. Classically-trained singer turned successful comedian, Lloyd Griffith, joined us to talk about why this one part of Handel’s Messiah become so well-known, why he includes singing in his stand-up routines and why audiences can't believe their ears when he does. Here's his full interview with MD, David Hill. Find out more about...

John Rutter is one of the world's leading choral music composers and he's known particularly for his carols. He was a very special guest on our seasonal season finale on Christmas music. Here's his full interview with David Hill. He lifts the lid on where carols come from, why the Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge has become such a festive tradition and the unexpected inspirat...

Christmas is coming and, even if you haven’t uttered a note all year, you might find yourself bursting into song. You probably know classics like  O Come All Ye Faithful  and  Away in a Manger  - but where do they come from and why do we sing them? David Hill investigates with the help of classically-trained-singer-turned-comedian Lloyd Griffith (who remembers the ‘Lord of...

Change Your Tune is all about recognisable pieces of choral music - and there aren’t many that are more famous than The Hallelujah Chorus . But why has this one part of Handel’s Messiah become so well-known, what makes it special and why is it a tradition to stand up during performances of it? We get some answers with the help of top comedian, football pundit and classically-trained singer, Lloyd...

Radio 3's Linton Stephens reveals why he thinks O Fortuna is such an iconic piece. He's a professional bassoonist, a broadcaster, a teacher and someone who is passionate about introducing new audiences to classical music. He presents the Radio Three show, Classical Fix , where he invites music-loving guests to sample a playlist of classical music he has chosen especially for them. Here's our full...

Carl Orff’s  Carmina Burana  is probably the most-performed choral work of the past one hundred years.  O Fortuna  – its opening and closing – is one of the most recognisable choral pieces ever, used everywhere from adverts to computer games to talent shows. Why is it so popular? What gives it its impact? And why do some people have very negative feelings towards it? We unravel...

Love Ssega is the former frontman-songwriter of the Grammy-winning group, Clean Bandit . He's now a successful solo artist and producer working across disciplines, combining music and visual art to raise awareness of the climate crisis. He was a 2022 Arts Foundation Fellow for Music For Change and he’s just finished a year as the Royal Festival Hall’s Philharmonia Orchestra’s artist in residence c...

Beethoven’s Ode To Joy is one of the world’s most recognisable and inspiring tunes. It’s become a global anthem for unity and defiance - from the Tiananmen Square student uprisings to the fall of the Berlin Wall to protesting Brexit. But where does it come from? And what makes it so powerful? Of course, music is still a driver for change. Founding member of Grammy-winning chart toppers, Clean Band...

Listen to our full interview with the award-winning film composer, Harry Gregson-Williams. The creator of soundtracks for Shrek , The Chronicles of Narnia , The Martian , X-Men Origins , House of Gucci and many others, he lets us into some of the secrets behind making a successful movie score. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Mad Max to Django Unchained , Verdi’s Dies Irae gets used in films, TV shows and computer games to summon up drama, chaos and catastrophe. But why was it written in the first place? What makes it so dramatic? And what is a Dies Irae anyway? We reveal all as well as getting inside the musical mind of one of Hollywood’s most sought-after film composers – the creator of soundtracks for Shrek , T...

There's more choral music in your life than you think - from movies to computer games, TV to sporting events. It's used because it moves people. But what makes it so powerful? Change Your Tune takes you on a journey of musical discovery into iconic pieces from The Hallelujah Chorus to O Fortuna! (or The X Factor Judges' walk on music!) We're starting with Handel's Zadok the Priest - UEFA Champions...